Review Responses/Questions that need explaining:

Snape having the OWL papers – yes they are marked by a standards board, but they sent back the papers to the school so that they can be analyzed to figure out weak points in the curriculum.

Hedwig – (apologies for the miss-spelling, I know it is Hedwig, I just missed it), She does have a place in the story, albeit very minor.

Why was Harry disguised/Why did he not give Remus a piece of his mind – Basically Dumbles did not want Harry owning the Black vault, as it meant next time he was in, he would have to see the goblins (as he did with Severus), which would make him inherit the Potter vault. And there are some things hidden in there that he does not want Harry to have. Harry has not entered the vaults yet, although he will enter one in this chapter. Remus' reaction was shame, his head was hung as he walked out the door… spose I should have mentioned that… woops. And Harry did not give Remus a piece of his mind due to the fact that then Dumbles would then know he was there.

Re: Continuing my other stories (namely Karana): Major mental block. I wrote this to dump one of the multitude of ideas in my head for other fics out, and it ended up being reasonable, so I posted it. There is a ton of stuff still 'up in me noggin'.

How Snape got him out is a secret to be revealed at a later date.

ON WITH THE SHOW:

Harry and Severus fell into a rhythm over the next two weeks. Lessons were long and hard, with Harry's biological clock getting extremely confused. Severus crossed off his calendar with increasing trepidation. He knew something would happen when he gave his Apprentice the potion, but he did not know what.

He had been walking down Knockturn Alley a year ago when he had been pulled into an out of the way pub. When he looked at his captor, he saw a man in a deeply cowled cloak. Upon it sat his own personal crest.

Flashback--

"Welcome Master."

Shocked, but refusing to show it, Severus snapped out "Who are you boy? And why are you wearing my crest?"

"Ah Master, I have missed your whit over these last years. Who I am does not matter. I do have a proposition to offer you. Something neither Voldemort and Dumbldore could satisfy. It's cost however is high."

Severus thought about what this person could be talking about, then nodded his interest.

"I want you to take on an apprentice in a years time. There will be a reading of a will of a once friend. You will take his ward on, and you will train him in what I will teach you."

Severus thought about it, yet could not think of who this ward could be.

"The cost?"

"After you take him on, your contact with Voldemort will abruptly cease."

Severus looked at the stranger with something akin to worry.

"You're not telling me something."

"Correct. You will find out in time. I will also give you all the books you desire, I will train you whilst you teach at Pigpimples"

"Hogwarts?"

"Same difference. And I will give you the one thing you require. More time."

End of Flashback—

Severus smiled slightly. Over the year he had learnt so much from that man, one who insisted on calling him Master, even though it was clear that he was in fact the apprentice. He had been provided access to the castle, and books on arts more advanced than he could hope for. In return he had to take on Potter as an apprentice, and surprisingly, he enjoyed it very much. Now, he had a week until something happened.

Severus watched as his Apprentice pushed another scroll out of the way. He really had applied himself well, and had such a mind. As Severus flipped through his current book, a slip of paper fell out.

Take your apprentice to see his vault tomorrow. Enjoy the book, come and see me tonight.

That was one thing Severus had noted – any time that HE wanted Severus to do something, without having a meeting, he would slip a note into a book, which he somehow knew Severus would be reading in the near future.

"Apprentice?"

Harry looked up, quill in hand "Yes Master?"

"We are going to Diagon Alley tomorrow. We are going to your vaults."

"Okay Master." Harry lowered his head and began working again.

When Severus flipped the page, there was another slip of paper.

Gee, don't sound too happy about it.

Severus chuckled to himself.

Later that night, Severus made his way down the fountain once again.

"Welcome back Master" the voice said from the shadows.

"Thankyou."

"Tomorrow you will go to the Faehre vault. Inside is a corridor, with 4 rooms. The first is a room filled with gold and platinum ingots. You are to fill 15 trunks with a good mix of the two. Up the back should be another collection of ores and minerals, fill a few trunks with them as well. Place them outside the door, and lock it again. Walk into the next room. Take three chests and fill them with a selection of equipment, they will again go outside the door. Inside the third door is a room with a pedestal. Upon the pedestal are two chains, both gold. You are both to wear those chains. The final room contains four trunks and two sets of documents. Take all of them. You are not to look at any of them until the event happens."

"What event?"

"You will know master… There is no way that you will not know…" The man in the shadows smirked.

"Yes… time is drawing closer. I have waited years for this. When you have everything, make sure all the doors are locked, then cast signum upon each trunk to mark them. Then you may leave. Let the boy look at all of the other vaults too, if he so desires, just ensure that he takes no coin out. There is no need. Let him browse everything, yet take only three items out of each vault."

"Is that all?"

"Yes Master."

Severus nodded and turned, walking up the stairs.

"Oh and Master?"

"Yes?"

"If I do not talk to you again before the day, Good luck."

Severus nodded again, and resumed his climb.

The next morning the two made their way to Gringots, dressed in their black robes. When they entered, they made their way to the head goblins counter.

"My Apprentice wishes to go to vault number 3." Severus spoke to the goblin.

"Does your Apprentice have a name?"

Severus sneered at the unfriendly Goblin.

"Harry Potter."

"Very well. Follow me."

The head goblin lead the two towards a cart.

"Get in. Hold on." An evil smirk appeared on the goblins face.

When they were all in, the goblin pulled the break lever, disengaging it. The cart moved forwards three feet, then suddenly went into freefall. Severus and Harry looked at each other, both had glee written all over their faces. When it reached the bottom of the track, it sped around a number of curves, and Severus smirked. "Can't this cart go any faster goblin."

Then something that had not happened in a very long time happened. The goblin grinned and tripled the speed of the cart. 5 minutes later, they arrived at their destination, a large wooden door, about 20' high, with large iron bands running from side to side. The goblin told Harry to put his hand on the door. Seconds after obeying, there were a series of dull CLUNKS as a number of locks opened. With a final clunk, the door swung open, allowing the two humans and a goblin into the vault.

The vault was nothing like Severus had expected – he expected a small corridor – instead the corridor was about 100m long. He opened the first door, Harry following behind. The three let out a gasp as they saw the piles of ingots piled within the room. After a quick instruction from Severus, the two filled the 15 trunks with a mix of ingots, then filled another 12 with iron, silver and bronze. Strangely enough, that was barely a dent in the supplies. The goblin obliged them by removing the trunks to the corridor, then they made their way to room two. This one was lined with a pile of tools and supplies, some of extremely good quality, others average. They filled another 4 trunks, and placed them once again outside the room. The other objects were grabbed from their respective rooms, and each one relocked. After each trunk was spelled, Severus turned to Harry.

"Do you want to visit the other vaults?"

Harry nodded. The next stop was the Black Vault, being the closest. Severus told Harry how much he could take from the vault, and 'let him loose'. The black vault was a lot smaller than vault number 3, the Faehre vault, however it was by no means small. Inside, it was a single room, with galleons piled in one half, and the other filled with objects. After Harry had looked around for about an hour, he finally chose the items he would take. One was an ornate broad sword, the next item a necklace, and the final object, a phial of azure liquid, which neither Severus nor the goblin could identify.

The Potter vault was much the same, however instead of an hour of examination, it took three – turns out the Potters had dumped everything from furniture to books in that vault. The final items that Harry had taken were a ceremonial dagger, a non-magical painting and an ornate trunk.

The Evans vault, being a family with a low magical saturation rate (all males were squibs, and the females married outside the family) was not much larger than the trust vault that Harry used to buy school supplies with. Inside however was a vast array of jewelry, 3 of which, Harry placed in a velvet bag.

When they returned to the surface, the goblin bid them good day and let them leave. As they left, a man in a blue cloak, walked up to Severus.

"A man just asked me to give you this sir." Was all he said before turning and leaving.

Master.

Well done, you have followed my instructions to the word. I suggest you try and make a detour to Number 4 Privet Drive to collect the boy's owl. There is a pattern inside his house – shown below. I made it when I picked up his gear for you.

I thought you would like to know – the azure coloured liquid is not a potion, but rather a very expensive oil – The phial is more valuable than the rest of the vault combined – make sure your boy knows that, it will come in handy.

Your Apprentice.

Severus chuckled.

"Master?" Harry asked, a question clear in his voice.

"Nothing Apprentice. We have to pick up your owl, don't we?"

Harry nodded. Severus tore of the bottom of the parchment which contained an image of an owl within a circle.

Remember this pattern, it is where we are going next. It will take us towards you owl.

Harry nodded, and the two headed back to the pattern. Seconds later they were in the middle of Harry's bedroom.

The pattern was engraved as a small symbol in the corner of the loose floorboard.

"This your room?"

Harry nodded as Severus looked around with disgust.

"All you need to do is find anything you wish to take with you and cast iunctum upon it. The movement is the typical swish and flick. It will connect that item to you magically for about 20 minutes, meaning it will be dragged along with you when you use the pattern." Again, Harry nodded, and began casting the spell upon a few items – Hedwig and her cage namely. When he was done, Severus motioned Harry over to the pattern. Seconds later there was not a trace of the two.

Kingsley Shacklebolt, who was on guard duty at that time smiled. Yes, everything was going according to plan. He walked over to the bushes and knelt down.

"The owl has been delivered."

"Thank you Kingsley. I suppose I better get back into the house then."

Kingsley nodded. A dark figure stepped out of the bushes and stood up. As he walked towards the house, his shape slowly changed into that of a 16 year old boy with messy black hair. He turned briefly and saluted mockingly, which Kingsley returned.

"I'll be disappearing again tomorrow during your shift Kingsley. I have to stage a death."

Kingsley nodded. "Your own?", the man nodded, "Okay boss. See you then", Kingsley replied, knowing that tomorrow, a body would be found, and a simple diagnostic spell would show "Heart Attack – Natural Causes". Nothing would be reported. In a few months, papers for a new identity would appear at the ministry. It was something that Kingsley had learnt not to ask about. All he knew was that with monotonous regularity the man's identity changed.

Meanwhile, Severus was looking over the parchment Harry had given him, a book on how the pattern system worked, how to make patterns and the spells required. With a flick of his wand, and a soft "necto" the book was neatly bound in black leather. It was by no means finished, but it was enough. He stood up from his chair and made his way to Harry's room.

"Good work Apprentice. What do you want to study next?"

Harry thought about it for a second.

"Shape Changing?"

"Sounds like a good study. There are some basic works on metamorphmagus' in my library." Severus nodded, then walked out the door.

"I will be back with them in a moment."

Which is exactly what happened – moments later, Severus returned with a single thin book.

"It's not much. Basically it describes the magic surrounding them as they change, which is slightly different to that of self transfiguration. I can't make much else out I'm afraid. You may have better luck."

"Thankyou Master."

Severus nodded, then left.

It was the day. The day Severus had been waiting for with trepidation. He was currently sitting in his library reading a muggle book. Again, as he flipped the page, a note fell out.

Master.

It is a sad day for all, but it has to happen. At 7:40 tonight have your wardrobes gathered. You are to take no books or objects. Just clothes. Gather everything and place it in the pattern room.

Add the blood to the potion, and have him drink it. Unfortunately Master I cannot make one for you. It has to happen this way. Oh how I wish it didn't.

I will not see you again Master, how ever it was an honor. Although who knows, you may return after you have left. I suppose that makes no sense to you… but that's what happens when you have had a life like mine.

I know you do not know exactly what happens, but can I ask you to be understanding when you break it to him. I know you will not be but it is worth asking. I have worked for years to get all this to go according to plan

Let us all hope I do not fail tonight.

Your humble apprentice

Severus frowned at the note. He would do as it said – just as he always did. He did not like going into situations with his eyes shut.

That night, at 7:40, the master and apprentice were standing in the center of the pattern room. Severus added three drops of Harry's blood to the potion discretely – know that his Apprentice knew the illegality of adding blood to potions – and handed the potion to him. Without a word, Harry downed the sickly red potion, gagging at the taste.

Seconds later the cowled man stepped into the room, appearing from nowhere.

"hora imagio transio praevenio" he spoke loudly – as he spoke, a blue glow surrounded everyone but the cowled man. The glow increased hundred fold, before exploding outwards.

"It is done."

The cowled man pulled back the hood, revealing an man, no older than 25, with black messy hair and green eyes.

Meanwhile, at Hogwarts, a number of alarms went off. An old blue eyed man looked grave. There was only one thing those alarms could mean – Severus Snape and Harry Potter were no more. As if on cue, Kingsley Shacklebolt fell out of the floo.

"Sir! Harry has disappeared. One second he was there, the next he disappears in a bright flash of white light!"

The old man slumped in his chair.

"Thankyou Kingsley, please go and investigate."

The auror nodded and left through the floo smirking. Everything went according to plan.

Well that is a teaser-esque sort of thing. I want to really flesh this out some - especially detailing the first 2 weeks, and I do not want to add more to the end of this chapter, as I will be starting Chapter 3 from Hogwarts at the start of the school year… Don't worry, I will cover what happened to Harry in great detail in later chapters, although there is a brief overview in the next one.

I hope my conspiracy has become far more juicy by now ;-P